Did You Buy Your Puppy From A Less Than Reputable "breeder"?

[PoppyDog]

When my fiance and I started seriously looking for our puppy we were warned off BYB's and pet shops. We were told all about why it was NOT such a good idea to buy a puppy this way. We took due note and started looking for a "breeder". We just didn't realise that there were breeder and then there were breeders.

To this day I don't REALLY know where our puppy came from BUT I suspect a puppy farm. :D

A LOVELY lady in Brisbane sold her to us. The puppies were hand raised by her at her home from 4 weeks of age! And sold at 8 weeks.

She sells the "Designer Breeds" and that was another thing we didn't realise. Delibrate cross breeding = NOT a good breeder.

I don't know if this women is oblivious or knows what she is doing but she kept on of the litter that Poppy was in and still sends me photos and updates of Poppy's sister. She also LOVES when I send photos of Poppy and tells me how grateful and happy she is that we gave Poppy such a loving home and that we keep in contact with her.

Of course I know better now and I would never buy a second puppy off her. AFTER we got Poppy I had members of another forum tell me that she would most probably have health issues and that she probably was full of worms, fleas and had anal gland problems. The response I got on this forum from those members about our new puppy ruined the puppy experience for me. I was petrified we would go to bed and wake up in the morning and Poppy would be dead! I was so scared that something would happen to her. Looking back I was a bunch of nerves.

We are lucky that she IS healthy and happy and has no problems as yet.

So, who else brought their puppy from a not so reliable or reputable place and then learn't all about it after? I can't be the ONLY one???

[_PL_]

With all the best planning in the world, nothing in life has a 100% guarantee.

My first silky was a byb and I doubt many of the awesome rescue dogs I've met are from ethical registered breeders . Don't sweat it. You tried your best and learned a lesson along the way. Puppy has a loving home. All dogs deserve that.

[Rach...]

I got my girl from a BYB before I knew any better, now I wouldn't touch people who breed their dogs like that with a ten foot pole and I am quite against BYBers and try to educate people before I just insist they are stupid for breeding their Staffy which is feral with next doors Staffy x

[Snout Girl]

I got a dog from a registered breeder and have since realised the breeder in question are less than reputable.

still love my dog tho and still think buying from a registered breeder is the way to go.

edited for clarity, thanks aziah

Edited August 10, 2010 by bertandsally

[Aziah]

I got a dog from a registered breeder and have since realised they are less than reputable.

still love my dog tho

"they' as in that particular breeder I assume rather than "they" (registered breeders in general)

[ash&elar]

my first lab i got was from a "breeder" traveled hours to go pick this puppy up. shouldnt of taken her but did and my gut instint was right, elar was half the size she was supposed to be and had been kept in a games room her whole life i dont think she had ever been outside in her whole 14weeks of life, her mother was 7-8 but looked 10-12 and a bad example but the stud she had gotten to use on friends favour was brilliant so i took her n hoped for the best, she had issues from the start and still does have, her eyes arent right either, she kind of looks crossed eyed and has hair trigger aggression and the same things dont always set it off, because of that she lives with my uncle and aunty who have grown children and not alot of visiters, my uncle takes her for a walk/jog/run everyday and she is very happy but because my home life is very hectic with alot of ppl coming and going i wouldnt take the risk with her here. in all other ways she is a great loving dog. my lesson learnt.

[Melbomb]

I'll puy my hand up and admit that i knew nothing when we got Bomber. I'd done a fair bit of breed research and thought the breed was definitely for me but no reserach on where to get a puppy, let alone reputable vs non-reputable. He is most definitely from a less than reputable place (a petshop to be exact ) and at the time i had no idea how bad that was. Thanks to doing some more in depth research and DOL i've learnt alot since we've had my boy.

So yes you are definitely not the only one Poppydog!

[felix]

We got our standard poodle boy from what I thought was a respected and registered breeder. We found them at the Poodles in Australia website and, when I did some research, their dogs had titles at the shows and everything.

After two or so years, I saw in the news that their dogs (about 100 of them!) were taken by RSPCA and that they were breeding dogs for exporting them to Asia.

To be perfectly honest, our dog came clean, clipped, wormed and with vaccination record. He is 3 and a half years old now and is perfectly healthy and happy.

[CaseyKay]

Our middle border collie girl comes from a registered breeder that I found out later on is pretty much a puppy farm. Actually i can't say I didn't know something was up when I went to look at the puppy. They had the puppy at the house all bathed and fluffy and no sign of the parents. They did go get Mum from a shed elsewhere on the property (they drove there) when I asked and she was dirty and terribly shy and the puppy was also shy (and unfortunately mega cute). I would have walked away except soft-hearted husband and even worse my Mum had come along to look at puppies and in the end I was overruled. Puppy is 8 years old now, was from day one and still is the light of my life, BUT also has several health issues including epilepsy and she is almost blind now from retinal disease. She has always been very timid in new situations despite being well socialised.

I told the breeders she had what the vet called "Idiopathic epilepsy", ie possibly hereditary, and they still repeated her mating 6 months later. She is somewhat inbred but I don't know if that has caused the problems. I love her of course, I adore her, but she has broken my heart several times. She has also cost me a fortune in vet bills.

[Stitch]

You know, just because you get your dog from a 'BYB' doesn't mean that you are going to have problems!!

I breed and show dogs and do everything possible to raise healthy and happy pedigreed dogs BUT I would never say that I or people like me are the ONLY ones who can do that.

Do you ever wonder how we managed to get, raise, breed and enjoy dogs prior to being a 'reputable' breeder became the vogue???

There are always a certain percentage of 'bad eggs' in everything you do in life including the dog world and there are always going to be health issues in dogs, cats, etc. and humans.

As a 'reputable breeder' I just do my best to try eliminate any forseeable problems in health or temperament of the puppies I produce.

I care about my dogs and also my puppy buyers but I don't presume to have the monopoly on that!

[Edenishy]

What signs, do you think, would one look out for when choosing a good, repsected registered breeder of high quality?

I have 3.5 weeks to go before I get my first puppy/dog (on main register to show) from what I believe is a good registered breeder but after reading this thread, I cannot help but wonder now if I made the right choice.

[Erny]

What makes a registered breeder reputable?

I mean, the terminology is a bit open to interpretation.

For example, apart from the usual (health checks etc), is a "reputable" breeder one who takes an active interest in the health issues of the pups s/he sells?

If that's the case, then no .... it seems I haven't purchased from a reputable breeder.

Edited August 10, 2010 by Erny

[kmaci]

My goldens (sisters) were purchased from a lady from the outer south eastern suburbs. The pups mum and grandmum were there and in good health. The pups were outside undercover and the area was clean and cosy for the pups. Both mum and grandmum had papers but the pups ddnt. Our girls lived to 13 and 14 with their only health conditions due to old age.

When we brought a lab afew years back the conditions were similar. The woman owned both the sire and bitch, had papers for the bitch but not for the sire (she thought she was buying for reputable breeder, but no papers were ever forthcoming). Both dogs were healthy and had wonderful temprements. Once again we had no health problems with our pup.

I assume both our puchases are what people would call BYB but we had no problems.

[Jetty]

Jet is a pet shop puppy. I don't regret it but now I know better.

He has everything I want in a dog & honestly I hope my next dog will have his same qualities.

He is perfectly healthy. I don't believe that when dogs come from a BYB or Puppy farm that means the dogs will be crawling with diseases all there lives, but you do get more certainty buying from a registered breeder which I will be doing for our next dog.

[claireybell]

Jesie my cocker is from a less than ethical breeder and Jodie my beagle cross is from a pet shop.

Obviously I love both my girls and would never change them but now that I know better i would only ever go through a "reputable" breeder in future

[shmoo]

My boy Sweep is from a Pet Shop. Total impulse purchase and I turned my life upside down to have him. My next two dogs were from rescue.

Sweep has had terrible skin from the start. Malaseb baths every week by the age of 6 months rang alarm bells for me and I did research about Pet Shops and learnt all about Puppy Farms. I love him to absolute bits and do not regret purchasing him, but he has cost me a fortune in vet bills and at 7.5yrs has mild pancreatitis, is diabetic and now blind.

ETA: I'll only ever have rescue dogs or dogs from breeders I personally know.

Edited August 10, 2010 by shmoo

[ravenau1]

If BYB equals someone who breeds but doesn't show (as I seem to recall reading somewhere on here) then every pedigree dog my family or I have ever owned has been from a BYB. Never had any issues.

[Remarkabull]

When I was 18 I brought my first dog (since leaving home) a Dobermann. He was $200 from a BYB as I couldn't afford to pay for a registered dog. Definately the best $200 I ever spent. No health problems, no behavioural problems and he was a stunning looking dog. I realise though that I was extremely lucky with him and wouldn't do that again. My new Dobe is from a registered breeder, who wouldn't even tell me the price of the pup until we had been chatting for about an hour and he had decided that I was an acceptable candidate to own this puppy!

[Dogsfevr]

What signs, do you think, would one look out for when choosing a good, repsected registered breeder of high quality?

I have 3.5 weeks to go before I get my first puppy/dog (on main register to show) from what I believe is a good registered breeder but after reading this thread, I cannot help but wonder now if I made the right choice.

What make's you think you have made the wrong choice??

Why did you pick this breeder?

What question's did you ask about there breeding/showing/health etc etc??

What in your opinion made you think this breeder was better than other's you contacted??

How supportive are they with you showing??What makes them believe the pup you wil be getting is a showing promise for the ring compared to other's??

Are they giving you advice on preparing the dog for the ring & how to show??

There are so many more question's that could be asked but of the above do you feel you are happy with you now/have discussed??

Every breeder is different,some can be very down to earth , some feel that fluffying it make's them better.There is no right or wrong but all the basic fundamental/care/effort should be there .

If you have used you head with making decisions & made yourself a smart purchaser in understanding the breed/standard etc then you will now whether you have made the right choice.

Only you now the dealings you have had & the knowledge you have gained from the talks you have had with the breeder with your plans with this pup.

Allour's are from reg breeder who where well researched

[aussielover]

Our first dog Teddy was a pet shop puppy

He wasn't an impulse buy, we had been discussing for ages, I guess we just didn't know where else to look, both my parents were not "doggy people" and had never owned pets before.

We were lucky with our next dog Clover because we wanted a rarer breed, only registered breeders had pups available. We never had any health issues with our girl and all her problems occured due to old age

Although some would say this breeder is less than ethical now she is breeding dogs that are not recognised by the ANKC. HOwever, I still feel she really cares for her dogs and looks after them well.